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These pages are a free wiki: lists of different types of wordplay you can use to construct your own cryptic clues. SINGLE-LETTER INDICATORS — Common phrases that to clue single letters, A through Z.. ANAGRAM INDICATORS — Nearly 500 words you can use to construct anagram clues.. PARTS OF WORDS INDICATORS — How to select or eliminate letters from words in your cryptic clues.

In a sense, a cryptic crossword clue is more generous to solvers than a non-cryptic one! Let’s look at some specific types by way of illustration: 1. Anagram Clues. In an anagram clue, the subsidiary indication contains the letters of the answer and an indication that the letters should be rearranged or are not presently in the right order. A ...

Cryptic definition clues don’t use indicator words, although they are often indicated with a question mark or exclamation mark. (This is one of the few times where you do need to pay attention to the punctuation!). Here is a list of the sorts of words you’ll find for these indicator words below.

Browse through the posts tagged clue types to see a wider list including more complex clue types.. Abbreviations And Other References. You need some "general knowledge" to solve cryptic crosswords, but the good news is that you can do pretty well with only surface knowledge.(You might not play golf for example, but if you pick up the basic jargon you can comfortably answer golf-related clues.)

Cryptic crossword reference list of common abbreviations. Here are some basic abbreviations that are very useful to have by your side when cracking cryptic clues. The list only focuses on the harder abbreviations. Straightforward abbreviations and simple foreign words have been omitted from this list.

This is an incomplete list of the most common anagram indicators used in cryptic crosswords. Note that almost any word indicating activity, movement or destruction can be used as an anagram indicator, and many other inflections are possible (e.g. "badly", "erupting"). abandoned abnormal about absurd abused abysmal accident acrobatics action active adapted addled adjusted adrift affected afresh ...

Cryptic clues are bite-size riddles, each with the same structure: half the clue is a definition of the answer, and the other half is a bit of oblique wordplay suggesting the same answer.

cryptic trade. 1. DOUBLE DEFINITIONS The simplest kind of wordplay hint in a clue is a second definition. For example, HOOD can mean “gangster” or “a cover for the head.” So a clue for HOOD might read: Cover for the head gangster (4) (The number in parentheses indicates how many letters are in the answer.) Here is another clue of this ...

The Puzzles HQ team shine a spotlight on some classic cryptic crossword clues. Everyone loves a good puzzle, but cryptic crosswords are in a world of their own. Some people have been doing them since childhood, learning the knack from a parent or grandparent. Others came to them later in life through daily newspapers or puzzle magazines.

word or phrase in the clue that has the same number of letters. Tip #2: Look for a signal as to the type of clue that is being used. Don’t worry — it won’t take you long to get the hang of it. The signal in this clue is the word, “possibly,” and it indicates an anagram. Anagrams are one of the most common cryptic features. Here are some

The authoritative source of cryptic crossword knowledge that you can edit! Popular content (view all pages) Background information. Introduction to cryptic crosswords; History of the cryptic crossword; Cryptic clue; Clue-answer notation; Printer's devilry (more variants) Famous setters; List of setter aliases; Comparison of cryptic crosswords ...

Words and phrases in a cryptic clue indicating hidden words. Click on any word in the list to see the entry in the Crossword Dictionary. CHARACTERS CONCEALED CONCEALING CONCEALS CONTAINED CONTENT CONTENTS CONTRIBUTING DISPLAYING EXHIBITING EXTRACT FEATURING FROM HELPING TO MAKE HIDDEN HIDES

CLUE We said that every cryptic clue has two parts: the definition and wordplay halves. In one special type of clue, the two parts overlap completely, so the whole clue is a cryptic indication of the answer, and at the same time the whole clue is a definition of the answer. A clue of this type is called an “& lit.” clue (since the answer

Welcome, whether you’re new to cryptic crosswords, or just needing a refresher. Cryptic crosswords are made up of a variety of clue types and each is listed below and then explained a little further below. (I am a New Zealander so apologies to those of you from other countries for some clues featuring New Zealand people or places.

# # Those words marked with * are generally only found in advanced cryptic # crosswords and those marked with + are regarded as unsound by some. # a: Austria a: I a: academician a: accepted a: ace a: acre a: active a: adult a: advanced a: afternoon a: aleph a: alpha a: alto a: amateur a: ampere a: an a: ane a: angstrom a: answer a: ante a: are ...

A cryptic clue generally consists of two parts: Definition – this is synonymous with the answer and is usually positioned at the beginning or end of the clue.. Wordplay – this involves one or more of the cryptic devices listed below and makes up the rest of the clue. The wordplay could be another synonym of the answer or it might require manipulation of individual letters or groups of ...

Solving Cryptic Crosswords …especially our puzzles by Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto Our puzzles are part of a long tradition known as cryptic crosswords, which use a style of clueing more dependent on wit and wordplay than on pure knowledge. These clues can seem daunting at first glance, but the underlying principles are fairly simple.

A Cryptic Crossword deletion clue for the answer "ASKS" would be "Questions topless flasks." This clue is tricky because it requires a bit of word math. The person creating the puzzle, the setter, is telling you to remove the first few letters of the word "flasks" via the indicator word "topless." This results in the "ASKS," which is another ...

Like any skill, cryptic crossword solving improves with practice. Aim to solve at least a few clues every day, even if it’s just for 15-20 minutes. The more you expose yourself to cryptic clues, the more familiar you’ll become with the conventions and the easier it will be to spot the patterns. Consistency is key.